Do unto Others as Jesus Has Done unto You

Jesus ends his teaching in The Sermon on The Mount with what is the beginning of the Christian life – The Golden Rule: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12 ESV).

In The Golden Rule, Jesus simplifies the ethic of the Christian life into one short statement – whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them. Treat people the way you would want people to treat you. Love people the way you would want people to love you. Forgive people the way you would want people to forgive you. Serve people the way you would want people to serve you. And on, and on.

There is no other that has treated you as well as Jesus has treated you. He is the one who has done unto you as no other has done unto you. There is no one who has done more, or more good unto you than Jesus. And in this sense, The Golden Rule could be simplified one step further into this simple statement – DO UNTO OTHERS AS JESUS HAS DONE UNTO YOU.

LOVE

Above all else, Jesus has loved you. Jesus has loved you not because you were lovable, or lovely, in and of yourself. In fact, Jesus loved you even when you hated him and where his enemy (Romans 5:10). This is why Jesus can call you to love even your enemies in The Sermon on The Mount (Matthew 5:43-45), because you were his enemy and he loved you enough to adopt you as a son or daughter (Matthew 5:45). Jesus has loved you with an uncommon and unconditional kind of love. How might he be calling you to do unto others as he has done unto you when it comes to love?

MERCY

Jesus has not only loved you, but he has shown mercy to you, time and time again. And as it is with love, Jesus has not shown you mercy because you deserved mercy. In fact, mercy is defined as “not getting what you deserve.” Jesus has not given you what you deserve, both eternally and continually. This is why Jesus can call you to mercy in The Sermon on The Mount (Matthew 5:7), because you have first received mercy from him. Jesus has been merciful to you. How might he be calling you to do unto others as he has done unto you when it comes to mercy?

FORGIVENESS

Jesus has not only loved you and shown mercy to you, he has also forgiven you. He has not only not given you what you deserve, but he has forgiven you for what you’ve done to deserve it. This is why Jesus can call you to forgive others the way he has forgiven you in The Sermon on The Mount (Matthew 6:12). And more, this is why Jesus can confidently say that if you are not the kind of person that regularly forgives others, you may not actually be the kind of person who has actually received his forgiveness (Matthew 6:14-15). If you have been adopted as a son or daughter and received his mercy, you have also received his forgiveness. How might Jesus be calling you to do unto others as he has done unto you when it comes to forgiveness?

What else has Jesus “done unto you?” What else may he be calling you to do unto others as he has done unto you?